Canadian government to ship vaccines to Quebec after 27 confirmed or probable monkeypox cases
The federal government is sending vaccines and other "therapeutics" to Quebec to deal with a recent outbreak of monkeypox in the province that has grown to 27 confirmed or probable cases.
Canada's Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced late Tuesday evening the total number of confirmed cases has risen by 10 in Quebec, the first known hot-spot in the country and the only province to confirm positive infections of the rare disease.
The country's first two cases were confirmed in Quebec last Thursday. The number grew to five the following day.
On Wednesday, Montreal's public health chief said that the city now has 13 confirmed cases and 14 more suspected cases, for a total of 27 in the Montreal area alone.
In Toronto, health officials said Wednesday that of three confirmed or probable monkeypox cases there, two of the patients had either travelled to Montreal or had contact with someone who did.
The cases in Canada prompted a meeting over the weekend with the chief medical officers of health to come up with a plan, including clinical responses to the outbreak.
"This includes the pre-positioning of the vaccine Imvamune and therapeutics from our National Emergency Strategic Stockpile (NESS) in jurisdictions across the country - starting with Quebec which has accepted our offer to receive a small shipment of Imvamune vaccine today to support their targeted response," Duclos said in a news release Tuesday evening.
The minister said the government will release updated guidance on infection control in the coming days and weeks, including "isolation advice," and sought to reassure Canadians that this outbreak is not the same situation as the early days of COVID-19.
"While global understanding of the monkeypox virus is still evolving, we do have a supply of vaccines, which we will be sure to maintain, and we are working hand-in-hand with our provincial and territorial counterparts to rollout our response plan as quickly as possible," Duclos said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also set to release some Jynneos vaccine doses to treat infected people in that country. However, a World Health Organization official said he doesn't believe there's a need for mass vaccination against monkeypox like what was seen with the coronavirus pandemic.
Richard Pebody, who leads the high-threat pathogen team at WHO Europe, told Reuters that good hygiene and "safe sexual behaviour" can be enough to limit the spread of the virus that causes monkeypox.
One Ontario infectious disease specialist said that using the "ring approach" to vaccination could do the trick, meaning vaccinating all the infected people and their close contacts.
"That way you make sure that it doesn't spread out of that ring," Dr. Allison McGeer, an infectious disease physician at Sinai Health, told CTV News Channel.
Monkeypox spreads through prolonged and close contact and comes from the same family of viruses linked to smallpox, another viral disease that was eradicated through vaccination in the 1980s.
Symptoms of monkeypox include lesions on the mouth or genitals, which usually are preceded by fever, night sweats, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and joint or muscle pain.
Quebec's health ministry recommends people who have been in close contact with a suspected case or someone with similar symptoms to watch for symptoms for 21 days and to avoid sexual contact. If symptoms arise, people are advised to get tested by a health-care professional.
-- With files from Reuters and CTV News' Patrick Rail
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Millions of cyberattacks per hour as B.C. government investigates multiple breaches
Careful attention to government statements and legislation is required to get a handle on the level of risk British Columbians’ information is under, as investigators probe multiple breaches under a continued barrage of attacks.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
New 'Lord of the Rings' film coming in 2026
The Oscar-winning team behind the nearly US$6 billion blockbuster 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies is reuniting to produce two new films.